Paint brush trim guide

ABSTRACT

A paint brush trim guide including a clip adapted to be attached to the head of a paint brush and including a channel-shaped portion adapted to extend from said head to enclose therein an edge portion of the bundle of bristles extending from said head, and terminating in spaced apart relation from the free ends of said bristles, and a leaf spring guide member disposed in and extending along the base portion of said channel-shaped portion and extending outwardly therefrom to a point adjacent the free ends of said bristles.

United States Patent French 154] PAINT BRUSH TRIM GUIDE [72] Inventor: Robert L. French, 1109 West 35th Street, Independence, Mo. 64055 [22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 115,584

[52] US. Cl. ..l5/246, 15/248 R [51] Int. Cl ..A46b 15/00, B44d 3/22 [58] Field of Search ..l5/166, 169, 248 R, 248 A, 15/437, 175, 246; 33/39 B, 41 F; 118/504;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,341,879 9/1967 Kumpman ..l5/166 X 3,245,146 4/1966 Rogers ..401/193 UX 1,197,289 9/1916 Henry ..l5l437 X 916,107 3/1909 Collins ..l5/437 2,553,453 5/1951 I-leckman ..15/1'66UX 1 Oct. 17, 1972 1 2,784,435 3/1957 Gubler ..l5/248 R X 1,915,893 6/1933 Kinpoitner ..15/166 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,033,626 6/1966 Great Britain ..15/248 R Primary Examiner-Daniel Blum Attorney-John A. Hamilton [57 ABSTRACT A paint brush trim guide including a clip adapted to be attached to the head of a paint brush and including a channel-shaped'portion adapted to extend from said head to enclose therein an edge portion of the bundle of bristles extending from said head, and terminating in spaced apart relation from the free ends of said bristles, and a leaf spring guide member disposed in and extending along the base portion of said channelshaped portion and extending outwardly therefrom to a point adjacent the free ends of said bristles.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PlTENTEDucI 11 I972 X 11mm 1 mm M1; 2 Will Hill;

HT /A Ja 24 7 INVENTOR. v Faber) Z. Franc/7 BY 1 19. 6 a

A ffarney.

PAINT BRUSH TRIM GUIDE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in painting accessories, and has particular reference to a guidedevice adapted to be attached to a paint brush and operable to assist in the application by said brush of paint to a surface accurately up to a molding, adjacent wall or the like with no danger that the paint will be applied to or accidentally run over to the molding, adjacent wall, or the like. The application of paint accurately to a straight line in these circumstances by means of a hand-held brush is a highly skilled job requiring a steadier hand than most people possess. The provision of a guide device facilitating the accurate and efficient performance of. this task, and having the form of a-simple attachment to an ordinary paint brush, is the primary object of the present inventron.

Another object is the provision of a trim guide attachment of the character described which functions primarily to guide the paint brush bristles themselves, and only secondarily to guide the brush head or handle, or the painters hand, sothat while the painters hand may waver, the line to which paint is being applied will not waver. Thispermits an easier, more free and natural movement of the painters hand, and also permits intentional flexing or working of the bristles to assist in the flow of paint therethrough.

A further object is the provision of a trim guide attachment of the character described having novel means preventing the guide member itself, which necessarily must ride against an adjacent surface to which paint is not to be applied, from transferring paint to said adjacent surface.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, and efficiency and dependability of operation.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in thecourse of the specification, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing,

wherein:

FIG. I is a fragmentary elevational side view of an ordinary paint brush, with a trim guide attachment embodying the present invention applied operatively thereto,

FIG. 2 is an edge elevational view of the parts as shown in FIG. I,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line Ill-III of FIG. 2 with the paint brush left in elevation,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line IV--IV of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line V-V of FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the brush in a position of actual use relative to a surface to be painted, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line VII-VII of FIG. 6. v

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies generally to anordinary paint brush consisting of a flattened head 4 from which projects a handle 6 (shown fragmentarily but of any desired length) for manual manipulation of the brush, and on which is affixed a ferrule 8, usually metal, in which are bonded the bundle of bristles .10 forming the operative portion of the brush, said bristles extending from head 4 oppositely to handle 6.

The trim guide attachment forming the subject matter of the present invention is indicated generally by the numeral 12, and includes a mounting member 14 adapted to be attached to brush head 4, over the ferrule 8 thereof. As shown, said mounting member constitutes a generally C-shaped spring clip formed of resilient sheet metal. The connecting portion of the clip embraces an edge of head 4 parallel to bristles 10, and is extended toward the free ends of said bristles to form a channel-shaped extension 16 which embraces the corresponding edge portion of the bundle of bristles, as best shown in FIG. 5, but extends only a portion of the exposed length of said bristles, preferably half or less of their length. The side walls of channel 16 are curved outwardly from the brush at their longitudinal edges to form cars 18.

A generally flat, narrow leaf spring 20 is disposed lengthwise in the connecting portion of clip 14 and channel guide 16, extending above said clip toward brush handle 6, where it is bent over to form a finger tab 22, and also extending below channel 16 toward the free ends of bristles 10, the lower end portion thereof being taperingly narrowed in width and its extreme end portion being curved outwardly to form an ear 24. In normal use, ear 24 is disposed adjacent but still above the free ends of the bristles, as shown. Spring 20 is longitudinally slidable in clip 14 and channel 16, the side walls of clip 14 being crimped to form guideways 26 for said spring, as best shown in FIG. 4. Said guideways do not, however, extend into channel 16, whereby the portion of said spring within said channel is free to be flexed resiliently away from the base of said channel. Spring 10 is releasably secured in its use position with its lower end extended well below the lower end of channel 16 toward the free ends of the bristles, as shown, by a spring detent 28 struck from the base wall of clip 14 and engageable in a hole 30 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) formed in said spring. The spring may be pulled upwardly by means of finger tab 22 with sufficient force to disengage said detent from said hole, to the dotted line position of FIG. 1, wherein spring ear 24 is disposed at the lower end of channel 16.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a wall surface 32 to be painted accurately up to a surface 34 adjoining and disposed at right angles to surface 32. Surface 32, for example, may represent a room wall, and surface: 34 an adjacent wall, or a molding, window frame, adjacent wall or the like. In operation, the guide 12 forming the subject matter of the present invention is attached to the paint brush 2 by engaging the spring clip 14 about the head 4, or ferrule 8, of the brush, as shown. With dletent 28 engaged in hole 30 of guide spring 20, said guide spring should then extend to a point adjacent the free ends of bristles 10. The precise relationship of the end of spring 20 to the ends of bristles 10 will depend somewhat on the personal preferences of the painter and may be adjusted by sliding clip 14 along brush ferrule 8 parallel to the extent of the bristles. The painter then grasps finger tab 22 and retracts guide spring 20 longitudinally of itself to the dotted line position of FIG. 1 disengaging detent 28 from hole 30 of the spring. Said detent, however, remains in frictional engagement with an imperforate portion of the spring to hold releasably in any position to which it may be moved. Brush bristles 10 may then be dipped in paint with no danger that guide spring 20 itself will be dipped into the paint. The spring is then extended to the solid line position of FIG. 1 by pressure on finger tab 22, detent 28 engaging in hole 30 to hold the spring in this extended position with comparatively great rigidity.

The brush is then applied and used as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the free end portions of bristles 10 being applied to the surface 32 to be painted, with the ear 24 at the free end of guide spring engaging the surface 34 adjacent surface 32, and pressed thereagainst with sufficient force to cause at least a degree of flexure of said spring at all times, as best shown in FIG. 6. The brush is then angled, also as shown in FIG; 6, so that the bristles 10 immediately adjacent spring 20 engage surface 32 accurately at its line of juncture with surface 34, but do not engage surface 34. The brush is then moved parallel to the line of juncture between surfaces 32 and 34, to the right as viewed in FIGS. 6 and 7, so that the brush applies paint to surface 32 accurately up to its line of juncture with surface 34, but not to surface 34 itself.

It should be noted that the guide does not hold the brush head 2 or handle 6 accurately and rigidly in a straight line'of travel, but only the ends of the bristles themselves. In other words, it does not force the painters hand to move in a straight line, but instead compensates for any wavering of the painters hand by providing movement of the bristles opposite to the direction of wavering. That is, so long as the painters hand is steady enough to maintain spring 20 at some degree of flexure at all times, it will be seen that if the painters hand wavers toward surface 34, spring 20 will be flexed to a greater degree, in turn flexing bristles 10 more sharply to maintain them in the desired line of travel, and if the painters hand in wavering moves away from surface 34, spring 20 recovers elastically to a lesser degree of flexure, and bristles 10 follow, whereby again to maintain the same straight line of paint application. It is a simple matter for even an unskilled painter to maintain spring 20 flexed at least to some degree at all times, and the bristles themselves are sufficiently flexible to follow varying or wavering flexure of the spring. The guiding of the bristles themselves to compensate for wavering of the painters hand,

rather than a rigid guidance of the brush head and han-' dle, has at least two advantages. First, it permits a freer, more fluid and natural movement of the painters hand, which most painters find easier and more desirable. More importantly, it permits intentional wavering, causing repeated flexure of spring 20 and hence of the bristles. The bristle flexure promotes better flow of the paint along the bristles to their ends, in ,the same manner as repeated brush strokes in normal painting so that the paint is applied more evenly, and a much longer line may be painted before the brush again needs to be dipped in the paint bucket.

The out-turned ear 24 of spring 20 provides that its point of sliding contact with surface 34 is spaced somewhat apart from the area of contact of said spring with the bristles so that there is less possibility that said ear will itself become paint covered and transfer paint to surface 34, thus defeating the basic purpose of the guide. It is for this same reason that it is generally preferable that spring 20 terminate somewhat short of the free ends of the bristles, since the spring end is thereby positioned farther from the actual area of paint apElication.

hannel 16 of the guide serves the purpose of Insuring that all of the bristles 10 adjacent spring 20 are in fact acted on and deflected by said'spring. It will be readily apparent that if any of the bristles were not deflected by the spring, but could move past the longitudinal edges of said spring, they could engage and apply paint to surface 34. For this reason, channel 16 is provided with parallel side walls 17 between which the lateral width of spring 20 fits closely but still movably, so that no bristles 10 can pass therebetween, and every bristle entering the channel is subject to the flexing action of the spring. The curved ears 18 of the channel prevent the escape of any of the bristles from the channel itself.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A paint brush trim guide comprising:

a. a generally flat, elongated leaf spring adapted to be extended along one edge of the flat bundle of bristles of a paint brush, said bristles being mounted in and extending outwardly from the head of said brush, said spring being generally parallel to the normal extent of said bristles with its plane generally normal to the plane of said flat bundle of bristles, and having its free end adjacent the free ends of said bristles,

b. a mounting member in which a portion of said spring remote from its free end is mounted, and

which itself is adapted to be mounted on the head portion of said brush, and

c. a guide channel carried by said mounting member and opening laterally of said spring, said channel encompassing a portion of said spring intermediate its free end portion and the portion thereof engaged in said mounting member, and also encompassing an edge portion of said bundle of bristles at a position spaced apart from the free end portions of said bristles.

2. A paint brush trim guide as recited in claim 1 wherein said guide channel includes parallel side walls normal to the plane of said spring, the transverse width of said spring being substantially equal to the spacing between said channel side walls, whereby said spring is engaged closely but movably between said side walls, and none of said bristles may pass therebetween.

3. A paint brush trim guide as recited in claim 2 wherein said guide channel is provided, along the free longitudinal edges of the parallel side walls thereof, with ears curved outwardly from each other, whereby bristles moved laterally of themselves toward said channel are forced to enter said channel. 

1. A paint brush trim guide comprising: a. a generally flat, elongated leaf spring adapted to be extended along one edge of the flat bundle of bristles of a paint brush, said bristles being mounted in and extending outwardly from the head of said brush, said spring being generally parallel to the normal extent of said bristles with its plane generally normal to the plane of said flat bundle of bristles, and having its free end adjacent the free ends of said bristles, b. a mounting member in which a portion of said spring remote from its free end is mounted, and which itself is adapted to be mounted on the head portion of said brush, and c. a guide channel carried by said mounting member and opening laterally of said spring, said channel encompassing a portion of said spring intermediate its free end portion and the portion thereof engaged in said mounting member, and also encompassing an edge portion of said bundle of bristles at a position spaced apart from the free end portions of said bristles.
 2. A paint brush trim guide as recited in claim 1 wherein said guide channel includes parallel side walls normal to the plane of said spring, the transverse width of said spring being substantially equal to the spacing between said channel side walls, whereby said spring is engaged closely but movably between said side walls, and none of said bristles may pass therebetween.
 3. A paint brush trim guide as recited in claim 2 wherein said guide channel is provided, along the free longitudinal edges of the parallel side walls thereof, with ears curved outwardly from each other, whereby bristles moved laterally of themselves toward said channel are forced to enter said channel. 